Fuel supply manifold having orienting means for mounting a control device thereto

ABSTRACT

A manifold defined by an annular wall providing a fuel supply passage in the manifold and having a pair of openings passing therethrough on each side of the manifold. A control device is disposed in the openings so as to have one part thereof on one side of the manifold and another part thereof projecting out of the opposite side of the manifold with an intermediate part of the control device disposed inside the manifold, the control device having means for conveying fuel adjacent the intermediate part thereof out through the projecting part thereof and being secured to the manifold in a stacked and sealed relation therewith.

United States Patent I [191 Demi I l [75] Inventor:

- [22] Filed:

[ FUEL SUPPLY MANIFOLD HAVING ORIENTING MEANS FOR MOUNTING A CONTROL DEVICE THERETO Roy C. Demi, Greensburg, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company,

' Richmond, Va.

May 2, 1973 21 App]. No: 356,498

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 145,272, May20, 1971, Pat. No.

52 u.s.c|. 137/561 R, 251/145 51 Int. Cl.. ..Fl6k5l/00 [58] Field ofSearch l37/56l,263,608; 251/145, 146,31 0;2s5/1s9, 19o

' '[56] Rem-na Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,439,539 4/1948 Cellwork 251/146 i451 June 28., 1974 2,657,092 10/1953 Jones 251/145 2,811,982 11/1957 DeYoung 137/561 R 3,117,587 1/1964 Willinger 137/608 X 3,499,464 3/1970 Primary Examiner-William R. Cline Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Candor, Candor & Tassone [5 7] ABSTRACTv A manifold defined by an annular wall providing a fuel supply passage in the manifold and having a pair of openings passing therethrotigh on each side of the manifold. A'control device is disposed in the openings so as to'have one part thereof on one side of the manifold and another part thereof projecting out of the 0p posite side of the manifold with an intermediate part of the control device disposed inside the manifold, the control device having means for conveying fuel adjacent the intermediate part thereof out through the projecting part thereof and being-secured to the manifold in a stacked and sealed relation therewith.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Williams et a1. 137/608 PATENTEDauuze m4 SHEET 2 OF 2 mil . 1 LFUEL SUPPLY MANIFOLD HAVING ORIENTING MEANS FOR MOUNTING A CONTROL DEVICE qTl-lERETO This is a-division of application Ser. No. 145,272, filed May 20, 1971-,now US. Pat. No. 3,746,039.

This invention relates to an improved mounting means or method for securing a Control device to a fuel supply manifold as well as to improved parts of such an assembly orthe like. 7

It is well known that prior' known control devices have been secured to fuel supply manifolds by two conventional methods. In both methods, the manifold is provided with a female thread in an opening at the desired c'ontrollocation and thecontrol device is provided with an externally threaded stem to mate with that threaded opening of the manifold. In one conventional method, the threaded stem is an integral part of the control device and the assembly operation requires that the control device be rotated while being threaded into the threaded opening of the manifold. In the other conventional method, the control is provided with a threaded flange which is first threaded into the mani fold and then the control device is assembled to the flange with bolts. In-the last method, a sealing gasket is used between-the flange and the control device to seal the same together.

It has been found that when utilizing the above described conventional assembly methods, drilling and tapping of the manifold is required whereby metal chips are produced which may damage or cause 'malfunction of the control device if such chips are not entirely removed. In almost all cases, tapered pipe threads are used which leaves several undesirable conditions. For example, the distance'from the center line of the manifold to the'center line of the dial of the control device varies with the allowable tolerance which is severalthreads on each of the tapered threaded parts. Along withthis variatiomtheassembler must stop rotation and tightening at the proper degree of are so that the control device will remain square with the manifold and the dial perpendicular to the control panel.

However, in applicants copending application, Ser. No. 817,001, filed Apr. 17, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,602,480 an improved manifold and control device mounting means are provided wherein all of the disadvantages of the prior conventional mounting methods are eliminated with the mounting means of that application providing low cost manufacturing, easy and fast snap-on assembly, accurate location, simple sealing requirements, simplified service, and clean material and fabrication methods.

In particular, one embodiment of the copending pa-v tent application provides a fuel supply manifold having side wall means provided with an opening means passing therethrough and 'a control device sealingly disposed against the side wall means of the manifold around the opening means so as to have an inlet means thereof disposed in fluid communication with the opening means. A bracket means is detachably interconnected to the manifold about the side wall means thereof and is detachably interconnected to the control device to secure the control device to the manifold in sealed relation therewith solely by the interconnection of .thebracket means with the control device and the manifold.

by an annular wall means for providing a fuel supply passage therethrough. The opposed sides of the wall means of the manifold respectively have opening means passing therethrough in aligned relation. The control device of this invention is inserted in one of the opening means so as to have one'part thereof on one side of the manifold and another part thereof projecting out through the opposite side of the manifold with an interior part of the control device disposed inside the manifold. Suitable sealing means cooperate with the various parts of the control device and the wall means of the manifold to fluid seal the control device in the opening means so that no leakage of fuel passes between the control device and such opening means. However, the control device has selectively operable valve means for conveying fuel adjacent the intermediate part thereof out through the projecting end part thereof so as to be directed to afuel burner or the like. Such mounting of the control device is provided by a single nut threaded on the projecting part of the control device, the nut being compacted against the manifold to fasten the control device thereto in stacked relation as will be apparent hereinafter.

. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved means for mounting a control device to a fuel supply manifold, the mounting means of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method of mounting a control device to a fuel supply manifold, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved control device to be secured to a fuel supply manifold.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fuel supply manifold adapted to have a control device secured thereto.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings with other parts of the control device being exploded in perspective therewith.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adapted to mount a selectively operable control device to a fuel supply manifold, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be-utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide means for mounting other types of control devices as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel supply manifold of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral and comprises a wall means 11 formed in any suitable manner to define a substantially tubular manifold 10 having a rectangular transverse cross-sectional configuration so as to define opposed top and bottom walls 12 and 13 thereof and opposed front and rear walls 14 and 15 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The annular wall means 1 1 of the manifold 10 defines a fuel supply passage 16 passing through or into the manifold 10 with the passage 16 being adapted to be interconnected to an external fuel source, such as a gaseous fuel source, in a conventional manner. The manifold 10 is adapted to be mounted in a cooking apparatus, also in suitable and conventional manner, such as the cooking apparatus that is generally indicated by the reference numeral 17 in FIG. 1 and which includes a control panel or frame means 18.

The control device of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 19 and comprises a housing member or means 20 formed of three parts 21, 22 and 23 disposed in axially aligned relation with the intermediate housing part 22 cooperating with the first housing part 21 to define an annular shoulder 24 therebetween and cooperating with the end housing part 23 to define an annular shoulder 25 therebetween.

The intermediate housing part 22 has an inlet 26 formed therein which is controlled by a valve member 27 in a conventional manner with the valve member 27 being movable to one or more operating positions thereof by suitable mechanical means coupling the valve member 27 to a control shaft-28 projecting from the housing part 21, such interconnecting structure between the shaft 28 and the valve member 27 not forming part of this invention. However, it is to be understood that when the control shaft 28 is rotated in the proper direction, the inlet 26 is adapted to be fluidly interconnected by the valve member 27 to a passage means (not shown) passing through the end housing part 23 and leading to an orifice cap or cup 29 having an outlet 30 for directing the fuel to a burner means (not shown) of the cooking apparatus 17 in a conventional manner.

The housing part 23 has a first cylindrical and externally threaded section 31 and a second downwardly stepped and outwardly projecting externally threaded section 32 coaxially interconnected to the section 31 with the section 32 threadedly receiving the orifice cap 29 thereon.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a substantially circular opening 33 is formed through the front wall 14 of the manifold 10 and is of a size to loosely receive the intermediate cylindrical section or part 22 of the control device 19 but is smaller in diameter than the outer peripheral portion 34 of the annular shoulder 24 defined between the parts 22 and 21 of the control device 19 for a purpose hereinafter described. A similar opening 35 is formed through the back wall 15 of the manifold 10 in coaxial relation with the opening 33 with the opening 35 being smaller in diameter so as to loosely receive the cylindrical threaded part 23 of the housing 20 but being smaller in diameter than the outer peripheral portion 36 of the annular shoulder 25.

In this manner, the control device 20 is adapted to be inserted through the opening 33 of the manifold 10 so that the part 23 will pass through the opening 33 and out through the rear opening 35 with the annular shoulder 25 preventing the intermediate part 22 from passing out of the passage 16 of the manifold 10 through the opening 35. Similarly, the shoulder 24 prevents the housing part 21 from entering the opening 33 of the manifold 10.

In order to seal the control device 19 in the openings 35 and 33 of the manifold 10 to prevent fluid leakage out of the openings 33 and 35, annular sealing gaskets 37 and 38 are respectively disposed on the cylindrical parts 23 and 22 of the control device 20 against the shoulder means 25 and 24 thereof so that when the control device 19 is inserted into the openings 33 and 35 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2, the annular sealing gaskets 37 and 38 are adapted to be compacted respectively against the inside surface 39 of the rear wall 15 of the manifold 10 and the outside surface 46 of the front wall 14 of the manifold 10 by the shoulder means 25 and 24 tending to engage the same outboard of the openings 35 and 33 to completely seal closed the openings 33 and 35 by the inserted control device 19.

In order to cause such compacting sealing relation with the shoulders 24 and 25 against the gaskets 38 and 37, and with the gaskets 38 and 37 against the manifold walls 14 and 15, a nut 40 is threaded on the externally threaded part 31 of the section 23 of the control device 19 and is tightened thereon against the outside surface 41 of the rear wall 15 of the manifold so as to draw the control device 19 to the left in FIG. 2 relative to the manifold 10 and, thus, compact the sealing means 37 and 38 between the walls 15 and 14 of the manifold 10 and the shoulder means 25 and 24 of the control device 19 to not only seal closed the openings 35 and 33 in the manner previously described but also to securely fasten the control device 19 to the manifoldlO in a simple manner.

In this manner, subsequent opening of the inlet 26 of the intermediate part 22 of the control device 19 by the control shaft 28 being moved to the proper position by a control knob 42 permits fuel in the passage means 16 of the manifold 10 adjacent the now opened inlet 26 to flow into the housing part 22 and out through the housing part 23 and orifice cup 29 to the desired structure,

such as a burner of the cooking apparatus 17.

In order to prevent rotation of the control device 19 relative to the manifold 10 during the assembling operation thereto as well as after the control device 19 has been mounted to the manifold 10 and a person is operating the control knob 42 and, thus, the control shaft 28, suitable orienting means can be provided on the control device 19 and the manifold 10 to positively locate the rotational position of the control device 19 relative thereto and maintain such rotational position during subsequent use of the control device 19.

- device 19 is properly located in a predetermined rotational position relative to the manifold not only during the tightening of the nut 40 -to secure the control device 19 thereto, but also after the control device 19 has been mounted thereto and a person is turning the control shaft 28 for operational purposes and the like. The sealing gasket 38 can also be provided with a keyway slot 45 to accept the key-way 44 of the control device 19 as illustrated in FIG. 3, if desired.

.being adapted to be compacted against said wall means of said manifold outboard of said opening means thereof to prevent said one part from passing into said manifold when said intermediate part is inserted into said opening means, said intermediate part of said con- Thus, it can be seen that not only does this invention provide an imporved means and method for mounting a control device to a fuel supply manifold to overcome many of the disadvantages of the prior known-mounting means, but also this invention provides an improved manifold and improved control device for mounting to such a manifold or the like.

While the formof the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the patent statutes, other forms may be utilized all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l. A fuel supply manifold defined by annular wall means thereof, said annular wall means defining a fuel supply passage in said manifold and having opening means passing therethrough from one side thereof to the opposite side thereof and being so constructed and arranged that a control device that has a pair of parts is adapted to be disposed in said opening means so as to have one of said parts thereof on one side of said trol device defines a second annular shoulder with said other part of said control device, said second shoulder being adapted to be compacted against the inside of said wall means of said manifold outboard of said opening means thereof to prevent said intermediate part from passing outof said manifold when inserted therein from the other side of said manifold, said other part of said control device being externally threaded, and a nut threaded on said other part to be adapted to compact against said wall means to tend to draw'said shoulders toward said wall means in sealing relation with said manifold whereby said control device would be fastened to said manifold, said manifold having means for orienting said control device in a certain position in said opening means of said manifold, said orienting means of said manifold comprising a key-way slot formed in said manifold and opening to said opening means whereby said key-way slot is adapted to receive a key-way of said control device to not only orient said control device in said certain position, but also said key-way slot prevents rotation of said control device relative to said manifold when said nut is threaded to compact said control device against said manifold. 

1. A fuel supply manifold defined by annular wall means thereof, said annular wall means defining a fuel supply passage in said manifold and having opening means passing therethrough from one side thereof to the opposite side thereof and being so constructed and arranged that a control device that has a pair of parts is adapted to be disposed in said opening means so as to have one of said parts thereof on one side of said manifold and the other of said parts thereof on the opposite side of said manifold with an intermediate part of said control device disposed inside said manifold whereby said control device would be adapted to convey fuel adjacent said intermediate part thereof out through said other part thereof, said one part of said control device defining an annular shoulder with said intermediate part of said control device, said shoulder being adapted to be compacted against said wall means of said manifold outboard of said opening means thereof to prevent said one part from passing into said manifold when said intermediate part is inserted into said opening means, said intermediate part of said control device defines a second annular shoulder with said other part of said control device, said second shoulder being adapted to be compacted against the inside of said wall means of said manifold outboard of said opening means thereof to prevent said intermediate part from passing out of said manifold when inserted therein from the other side of said manifold, said other part of said control device being externally threaded, and a nut threaded on said other part to be adapted to compact against said wall means to tend to draw said shoulders toward said wall means in sealing relation with said manifold whereby said control device would be fastened to said manifold, said manifold having means for orienting said control device in a certain position in said opening means of said manifold, said orienting means of said manifold comprising a key-way slot formed in said manifold and opening to said opening means whereby said key-way slot is adapted to receive a key-way of said control device to not only orient said control device in said certain position, but also said key-way slot prevents rotation of said control device relative to said manifold when said nut is threaded to compact said control device against said manifold. 